‘Cheap’ energy switch left us out of pocket

Further to last week’s article on ‘The “phantom” energy tariff switches that can leave you paying MORE’, I believe these companies are indeed giving misleading savings advice to those seeking a cheaper tariff. I regularly compare gas and electricity rates via comparison sites and the firms’ own websites, only to find the promised savings are fictional. One company only requested my postcode and email address but was somehow able to tell me I could save £105 over 12 months. How, with so little information, can they say how much I will save? I entered their tariffs into my spreadsheet and the results showed I would not be saving, but spending an extra £331 over 12 months.

Steve Jennings, Moseley, Birmingham

I must congratulate The Mail on Sunday for last week’s article.

Consumers are drawn in by false figures given by the energy companies. No firm can predict your savings one year in advance, as our expenditure on fuel is governed entirely by our climate.

I find it very difficult to obtain exact quotations because I insist on knowing what the actual tariffs are – together with standing charges and exit charges. Only with this information can comparisons be made against existing prices.

Name and address supplied I applied for ‘free Saturday/ Sunday’ energy from British Gas, only to be told that this applies only for people paying by direct debit or by quarterly payments. So, as I am on a pay-as-you-go meter, I asked to have my meter changed. I was told I could but even then I still might not be eligible as the meter might not have the technology needed for the offer. I was left thinking: ‘Does this “free Saturday/ Sunday” energy offer really exist?’

I wrote to the chairman of British Gas but never got a response.

D. Ryan, Salford

I set up a website to help people find affordable things to do in London. But having been the victim of an energy supplier offering to save me money that ended up costing me more, I can say that finding a good deal is much more complicated than finding cheaper theatre tickets, for instance. There is such a huge variety of tariffs that you need to read the fine print in order to discover just how much (if any) money you will be saving. And I think the suppliers exploit the complexity of the matter.

In some cases, the penalty for switching suppliers can be steep, and this also needs to be taken into consideration.

I believe it’s up to all energy suppliers to be more transparent about the costs of switching, as well as giving consumers a genuine assessment of what their monthto-month costs are likely to be.

Suzanne Noble, Founder, Frugl